BEACHES
]"La Samanna has a wonderful gated beach, Long Bay, which is
considered one of the best on the island. Only part of it is
private, so you can visit Long Bay no matter where you stay. Prune
Bay is wonderfully isolated and quiet, while beaches like Orient
Bay are busy and bustling with the 'lolos,' the local word for the
little beach bars serving fresh fish and jerk chicken. The water
around St. Maarten is absolutely crystal clear and beautiful."
DINNER
"Le Pressoir, on the French side, is in one of St. Maarten's oldest
homes and has a French country atmosphere. The most popular
restaurant on the French side is Mario's Bistro, where the dining
room juts out over the water. It's very romantic, and the
food is
great. Le Chanteclair specializes in fish and Creole specialties,
all with a French flair. At all of these restaurants, you have the
same quality of food and the same level of fine dining as a big
city restaurant in the U.S., but you might be sitting at a table
and have this wonderful breeze coming off the water. It's not quite
as formal in its decor and presentation, but the meals are
exquisite. Everything's much more casual, like the French side of
the island itself."
NIGHTLIFE
"Two great beach bars are Calmos Café on the French side in Grand
Case. It's right on the beach and has great music. On the Dutch
side, Cheri's Café is most popular, with live
Caribbean bands
nightly. People always rush off to the casinos, which are on the
Dutch side. There are several, but the biggest one is the Casino
Royale in the Maho Beach Hotel. It's open until 4 a.m."
SUNDAY
EXCURSION
"There are regular trips you can take by water over to St. Barts,
which is, of course, the small French island favored by the rich
and famous. You could also hop a boat or a plane over to Anguilla.
St. Maarten is the major hub for the entire Caribbean, so there's
no end to where you can go."